Many of us have probably seen the movie with Bill Murray, essentially about reliving something many times, until we change our behavior and transcend it. And most of us probably associate Groundhog Day with Punxsutawney Phil, the famous prognosticator in western Pennsylvania who predicts the arrival of Spring each year, based on whether or not he sees his shadow. However, did you know that each year no fewer than 15 groundhogs make their predictions? Take a look at this list:
- Balzac Billy – Alberta, Canada
- Dunkirk Dave – New York
- French Creek Freddie – West Virginia
- General Beauregard Lee – Georgia
- Jimmy the Groundhog – Wisconsin
- Josh Porter – Ohio, I think (I couldn’t find a more specific reference)
- Malverne Mel – New York
- Octoraro Orphie – Pennsylvania (Phil’s rival)
- Punxsutawney Phil – Pennsylvania
- Queen Charlotte – North Carolina
- Shubenacadie Sam – Nova Scotia, Canada
- Sir Walter Wally – North Carolina
- Staten Island Chuck – New York
- Wiarton Willie – Ontario, Canada
- Woodstock Willie – Illinois
Interestingly enough, half of the furry creatures typically predict six more weeks of winter each year, and the others predict an early Spring. So who do you believe? I think the best way is to do it yourself: walk out of your house at daybreak and see if your shadow appears. I would have done it, except the weather forecast was morning breezy and cold. So I stuck with the electric blanket and let the groundhogs do the work…
Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back – I write and post often! And if you like what I have to say and how I say it, you’ll probably enjoy my novels as well. They’re listed below, and you can read more about them on my improved website, designed and built by my son Don, http://www.randolphmase.com. On my site, you’ll also find excerpts of my books that you can read – please check it out!
Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer
https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphmase
http://www.facebook.com/MatthewHoganMysteries
http://twitter.com/randolphmase
My Novels:
Death on Broadway
Death Beneath the Streets
Death in Central Park
Death at The Cloisters
Death Inside Diamond Head
Death Under Jones Beach (under construction)
Nathan Hale
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